October 22, 2014

Prepare Your Curb Appeal For the Holidays

Time to Sharpen Your Store Curb Appeal Prior to the Upcoming Holiday Season

I’ve sent out over 550 editions of “Idea of the Week” over the past 11 years and the topic this week was one of the most popular and most commented on idea from 8 years ago.

The topic deals with the “blindness” we all develop as we become too familiar with things we see every day. When I first moved to Phoenix 12 years ago I was in awe of the mountains I saw every day as I drove to work.

Five years later—– I didn’t notice the mountains. I was so used to seeing them I just “tuned them out.” When I would pick up retailers from the airport that had not been to Phoenix they reminded me of all the things of beauty that I just didn’t see anymore.

The same thing happens in our stores when we lose a critical eye to things we routinely see. In this week’s Idea of the Week I’m asking that you take a minute to refocus some attention on your store’s curb appeal as we approach the Holiday Season.

Central Market Store in Poulsbo, Washington – great curb appeal for Halloween

Halloween is just a week away and it’s time to take a step back to check your curb appeal prior to the upcoming Holiday Season. It’s your best opportunity to make a favorable impression on a new customer.

It’s so easy to ignore what your store curb appeal is when you walk through the front door of your store virtually every day. It’s very easy to not see what your customers see as they approach your front door and as they enter the front door of your store.

So this week you should do this very simple exercise to help you prepare for the upcoming holiday season.

An inviting welcome seen from the Ballard Town & Country store parking lot

Step 1: Drive by your store front at the prevailing speed limit to see what it is that potential new customers see as they pass your store on the way to your competitor’s store. Will they see something compelling enough for them to take the quick U-turn to visit your store?

Step 2: Take a parking space at the far end of your parking lot and be observant of what you see on the walk between your car and the front door of your store. Again, will you be seeing something seasonally unique and compelling? Or, on the walk to your front door will you see exactly what you would have seen on the walk in June? Many stores use the area just outside their entry doors to line up vending machines, trash cans, pallets of softener salt, potting soil and other items. Not very appealing to new shoppers.

Just steps away from a store’s front door – not too inviting

Step 3: As you enter your store, when the front door closes behind you, take three steps ahead and stop. From a point just three steps into your store, what will any new customer see as they first enter your store? Will they see lottery machines, vending machines, Auto Trader magazine stands and rug cleaning machines……What kind of “Welcome to my store” are you offering as they first enter the store?

 First time visiting this store – what I saw after first 3 steps into the store

Step 4: Next, after your first 3 steps, take another 10 steps and stop one last time. From that point in your store what is that your customers are seeing? From the front door area can you see any signs of the season welcoming customers to your store? Are you providing a clear “line of sight” for your new customers to see your produce, bakery, deli and meat departments as they enter your store without having to peer behind a massive Doritos, Budweiser or Pepsi displays that provides a blockade to your welcoming store?

Now is the time to take note of what you are showing your customers in terms of your curb appeal to visit the store and how you are welcoming new customers.

Mission Accomplished! What a great invitation as you enter a store in mid November! Elden’s Foods in Alexandria, Minnesota always welcoming customers.